How to Figure Fat Grams

Fat is an important part of a healthy diet. Your body needs fat in order to absorb and utilize vital nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat is an important energy source. Without enough fat in your diet, your body will burn protein for energy, which may weaken your muscles and tissues.

Eating too much fat results in weight gain and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. On average, only 30 percent of your daily calories should come from fat. Determining the fat gram content in a serving of food is a straightforward process that will help you limit your fat intake.

Instructions

Fat Grams from Calories

1

Check the food label for the number of calories from fat. On standard labels, this is listed below the total calorie content.

2

Calculate grams of fat by dividing the fat calories by 9. Fat contains 9 calories per gram, making it more energy-dense than carbohydrates or protein.

3

Remember that the label gives you a per-serving measurement. If you're calculating the number of fat grams for multiple servings, multiply the number you get in step two by the total number of servings.

Fat Grams for Meats

4

Determine the grams of fat per serving of meat using a general conversion chart. Meats sold by the pound through a butcher are not always labeled with their fat calorie or gram content. You can divide meats into three categories---very lean, lean and medium-fat to help you determine fat content.

5

Calculate the average grams of fat per ounce of meat. Very lean meats (like skinless chicken breast or white fish fillets) contain 1 gram of fat per ounce. Lean meats (like dark chicken or flank steak) contain 2 to 3 grams of fat per ounce. Medium-fat meats (like ground beef and pork chops) have 5 grams of fat per ounce.

6

Multiply the fat grams per ounce by your planned serving size, usually 3 to 4 ounces.

Daily Fat Gram Intake

7

Calculate the number of calories you need to consume a day to maintain your current weight. If you are an active male, you need 15 calories per pound of body weight. If you are an inactive male, you need only 13. An active female needs 12 calories per pound of body weight. An inactive female needs only 10. Multiply the number that best applies to you by your current body weight. The result is the number of calories you should eat a day to maintain your weight.

8

Multiply your total caloric intake by .3 to determine 30 percent. That is the number of fat calories you should consume in a day.

9

Divide the number of fat calories you need in a day by 9 to determine the grams of fat you should consume in a day.